About Me

I am an Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University, based at the OSU-Tulsa campus. My research lies at the intersection of aerospace autonomy, control theory, optimization, and machine learning, where I develop methods that enable autonomous systems to learn and adapt while remaining safe, reliable, and verifiable.

My work brings together two complementary strengths. Optimal control and optimization provide mathematical structure, computational reliability, and formal guarantees, while artificial intelligence allows autonomous systems to learn from data and respond to uncertain or changing environments. By combining these perspectives, I aim to advance trustworthy autonomy for safety-critical aerospace and robotic systems.

At OSU, I am building a research program focused on learning-enabled guidance, navigation, and control, real-time optimization and adaptation, and verification and runtime assurance. My applications span spacecraft guidance and control, launch vehicles, UAV navigation, advanced air mobility, robotic systems, and space domain awareness. Through the aerospace ecosystem at OSU-Tulsa, including OAIRE and the LaunchPad Center for Advanced Air Mobility, I am especially interested in connecting fundamental mathematical research with experimental validation and real-world flight testing.

I received my Ph.D. in Aeronautical and Space Engineering from Sapienza University of Rome in 2022. My academic journey also included postdoctoral appointments at Sapienza and the University of Arizona, as well as a visiting research period at the University of Tennessee. Across these experiences, I worked on topics ranging from convex and stochastic optimal control to physics-informed learning, reinforcement-learning-enhanced control, and machine learning for space domain awareness. Together, they shaped my current vision of combining rigorous mathematical methods with adaptive, data-driven intelligence.

Research, teaching, and mentorship are deeply connected in how I view an academic career. I am committed to creating learning and research environments where students are encouraged to ask difficult questions, test new ideas, learn from setbacks, and gradually develop into independent, creative, and ethical engineers and researchers. I particularly value the collaborative nature of research and the opportunity for mentors, peers, and students to learn from one another.